1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an upright vacuum cleaner and more particularly to an upright vacuum cleaner having a steerable head.
2. State of the Art
Conventional upright vacuum cleaners generally comprise an upright body portion having an upstanding handle. The lower end of the upright body portion is pivotally connected for forwards and rearwards movement to a wheeled floor-engaging head portion.
Upright vacuum cleaners are commonly provided with a lock which locks the body portion and head portion together, in order to maintain the body portion in an upright position when not in use or when using any elongate flexible cleaning hose of the kind provided on many vacuum cleaners. Typically, the lock comprises a foot pedal, which must be depressed to release the lock, although some vacuum cleaners incorporate a lock which is released by applying an excessive rearwards force to the body portion.
Conventional upright vacuum cleaners can sometimes be difficult to maneuver around obstacles such as furniture. An upright vacuum cleaner having a wheeled floor engaging head portion, which can be steered by twisting the handle on the body portion about its longitudinal axis is disclosed in EP7078613 and comprises an universal joint which couples the floor-engaging head portion to the body portion and which permits rotational movement in two orthogonal axes, so that the body portion can pivot sideways as well as forwardly and rearwardly.
Such so-called steerable vacuum cleaners are difficult to move sideways to lock the body portion in the upright position using a conventional locking mechanism.
WO2004/014211 discloses a steerable upright vacuum cleaner having a stand pivotally mounted to the rear of the cleaner which can be folded down to maintain the body portion in its upright position. This arrangement is complex, flimsy and unsightly.